


Sanguine Swords: The Alliance

by deliberatemistake



Category: Infinite (Band)
Genre: Fantasy, M/M, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-26
Updated: 2018-05-05
Packaged: 2019-03-09 13:08:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13482126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deliberatemistake/pseuds/deliberatemistake
Summary: Hundreds of years ago, an Alliance was formed among the kingdoms to resist the North. Once again, the North had risen, more powerful than ever, ready to conquer and destroy and devastate everything in its path. The Alliance that had broken down years ago  - could it be rebuilt? And even if it convenes once again, would it be enough to stop the North?This story was inspired by the INFINITE paintings by @nikittysan (http://nikittysan.tumblr.com/).





	1. Yellow

Sungjong woke up with the taste of death coating his mouth. It was the end of the world.

While he dressed he felt the weight of the world on his shoulder. He hated feeling powerless, and most importantly, he hated letting the king down. Last night, he hadn’t really slept, tossing and turning in his soft quilt, fit for a king. Every strategy he thought of, every tactic seemed too weak, futile. 

His footsteps echoed through the hallway as he tried to frame the bad news into something presentable. But despite the words he used, the truth was that the end was neigh.

Taking a deep breath, he entered the counsel room. It was smaller than most of the rooms in the castle, stowed away in a wry corner. The outside was almost shabby, with chipped stones and mossy shadows, in stark contrast to the inside. It was a circular room that would fit at most 20 people. There were no chairs, thick cushions were strewn across the floor, arranged in a circle across the circumference of the room. The walls were smooth and polished, completely different from the roughly hewn exterior. There were pale, but glowed yellow, lit by the torches. Inside this room, there was no saying whether it was night or day, rainy or sunny. This room was eternally yellow. 

The walls were bare, except the area exactly opposite to the door. A great floor-to-ceiling image had been painted on the wall in simple colours – a roaring tiger, its figure majestic as it is colossal, it’s teeth hanging bare and eyes sparkling, intimidating. Despite being a two-dimensional picture, it looked alive; many had sworn that they had seen the beast move out of the corner of their eyes. Maids in charge of cleaning the room had often ran out, screaming in fear.  
Sungjong found the painting fascinating. It was the symbol of their kingdom, the same image that hung on their flag. But this one, in particular, sent shivers up his spine, like he knew this beast personally.

Just in front of the painting sat the king, on a cushion higher than the rest. He wasn’t an old man but there were lines on his face that Sungjong liked to think were due to wisdom than age. He didn’t appear any less regal than the picture behind him, even though he was several sizes smaller. His eyes were calm however, not burning like the tiger’s. As Sungjong took his seat opposite him, the king smiled. 

“Well then, we can begin,” he said, his voice quiet but commanding.

Everyone else in the room, the ministers, the army general, and the chief tactician turned to Sungjong. It was up to him to break the news, to disappoint the king.

“Your Majesty, there’s nothing we can do. We cannot win against them, and surely surrender means death. I’m sorry I don’t have anything better for you, my king.”  
The room let out a collective sigh.

“My son,” the king said, his voice unchanged, as if the doom couldn’t touch him. “I know you’ve tried. All of you.” He glanced at the other men and women in the room. “I fear the end has come.”

Everyone hung their heads. No one was ready to give up, yet everyone knew how great the North was. Their soldiers, their weapons, their powers were beyond anything any of the other kingdoms had. The Northerners were mighty warriors, ruthless and dire, fueled by the dark magic their Mages practiced. Once they decided to take a kingdom, it was all over. The Yellow nation’s time had come.

“They’ve been defeated before,” a voice croaked, causing everyone to turn severely to one of the tacticians. Soojong was a tall, muscular woman with bright eyes and a soft smile. Sungjong liked her a lot, she was clever and capable. 

“Years ago,” the minister of health drawled. He was a young man, sharp and attractive. Jinyoung was a great doctor, well-educated and smart, which was why he had been able to get the position of a court minister. His only fault was he would always have to express his opinion, whether anyone asked for it or not. “And only because it was the North against the Alliance.”

“Yes, the Alliance,” Soojung said firmly. “That is our answer.”

Jinyoung guffawed, some of the other ministers joined in as well.

The Alliance was a noble pact created hundreds of years ago among the 6 nations to defeat the North. The 6 nations came together to raise the largest, most powerful army that fought against the monstrosities of the North, finally defeating them and driving them back to their kingdom. Since then, the North had kept quiet, recuperating secretly in their land. They had taken a great blow that kept that at bay for hundreds of years now. While the Alliance had broken, the 6 nations going their own way and forgetting all diplomatic relationships, the North had held onto revenge and the desire to conquer. Finally the time had come for them to start their attack again, starting with the Yellow kingdom.

“If Yellow Kingdom falls, what will happen to the others? Do you think the Northerners will stop here? They won’t stop until they destroy all 6 nations. They have as much to lose as we do,” Soojung debated her case passionately, shooting dirty looks at Jinyoung.

Sungjong knew what she meant – it was true, all 6 nations were at danger and forming an Alliance would be of mutual benefit and may be the only way to stop the North again. However, the nations had all shut their doors to the others for so long that it would be a miracle if they could get representatives of all the nations in the same room, let alone fight together.

“It’s not going to happen,” Hyunmoo, the oldest minister stated. “The Alliance is a thing of the past. They will never listen to our call.”

“How about we try calling them? There’s nothing to lose right?” Soojung insisted. She directed her gaze reverently at the king. 

The king turned looked at Sungjong questioningly. The room grew quiet once again as all eyes focused on him.

Briefly glancing at Soojung, he said, “It’s worth a shot I suppose, even if nothing comes out of it, at least we have warned them.”  
Soojung smiled at him gratefully while Jinyoung rolled his eyes. The king nodded.

“All in favour?”

Everyone in the room raised their hands, some slower than the others. But since Sungjong had voiced his reasoning, they felt more confident in the idea than before.

“Do you want to light the fire, your Majesty?” the chief minister asked.

It was no ordinary fire – it was the ancient distress call that the Alliance had used, a torch that burned for 6 days and 6 nights, sending a silent message. The torch is taken to the highest mountain on the outskirts of the Yellow kingdom, where it will be visible to all 6 kingdoms. It was a sign of the dire situation that was facing them – the last time it had been lit was when the North had invaded the lands hundreds of years ago.

“Yes, it is my duty,” the king said. “Sungjong, my son, arrange for messages to be sent to the other kingdoms, urging them to convene immediately.”

“Yes, your Majesty,” Sungjong got up and bowed. He felt a small flutter of hope – the Alliance coming together seemed fantastical but at the same time, if it happened, then they would defeat the North once again, and his kingdom will be saved. Death seemed a little farther away.


	2. Green

The fire had been lit 2 days ago, messengers had set out to hand deliver the scrolls urging the other kingdoms to come together. Meanwhile, the Yellow kingdom spies brought more and more grievous news – the North had an army greater than what had been calculated, their numbers bigger that what it had been in the last War. Some of the weapons that had been sighted were apparently enough to wipe out a small kingdom. There were rumours as well that the Mages were working day and night, spinning webs of dark magic. The North’s preparation was almost complete.

The counsel met daily, where Jinyoung and a few others sneered at Soojung, and indirectly, at Sungjong, for believing in the Alliance. Even the king seemed like he was losing faith.

“We should prepare ourselves Sungjong,” he told him.

“We are ready at a moment’s notice, father. We will give it our all.”

The king turned to the rest of the council.

“I will address the people of my kingdom tomorrow,” he said gravely. 

“Is there any reason to cause panic, your Majesty?” Jinyoung interrupted. “They will know when the time comes.”

“And yet-” Sungjong began but stopped short when the door to the room was thrown open and a soldier fell to his feet, panting.

“Sire, they’re here!”

Everyone gasped. Sungjong’s blood ran cold. Their intelligence said that the Northerners wouldn’t be here for at least another week. Why had the warning signal not been sounded?

“Have the Northerners breached the elven walls?” the king asked, his voice cool.

“No, your Majesty, it’s not the Northerners,” the soldier panted, shaking. “It’s-it’s the Green kingdom.” 

Another gasp sounded around the room as Sungjong sprang to his feet. 

“Your Majesty-”

“Go,” the king urged, “welcome our guests. And I appoint you as our representative to the Allliance.”

Bowing quickly, Sungjong sprinted across the hallways. The Green kingdom had always been fervent supporters of the Alliance, it wasn’t a surprise that they would be the first to respond. Heart hammering, Sungjong reached the courtyard where a marvelous sight met his eyes.

At the main gates, he could see 5 horses. They were excellent specimens – huge beasts with steely grey coats that shone like swords, and flowing, black tails and manes. The men on the horsebacks were all dressed in chain mail vests and helmets, with sheathed broadswords by their sides. They wore identical mantles over their armours that bore a green square cross. One man was carrying a staff, at the end of which a green flag billowed majestically. A splendid creature was imposed on the eternal green background – a pearly white steed with pale gold mane with deep imperious eyes and a long, structured face, and giant white wings. Its sinews shone in the sun and Sungjong startled, as the wind through the flag made it seem like that the horse’s mane was billowing in the wind. 

The horses gently trotted across the courtyard, coming to halt in front of Sungjong at the order of the man at the front. The four men dismounted quickly, one of them stepping up to announce, “Prince Dongwoo, heir to the throne of Green kingdom, Knight superior, and representative to the Alliance”.

Prince Dongwoo dismounted and with one fluid motion, took off his helmet. Sungjong was surprised to see what a handsome man the prince was, with dark hair that fell across his forehead, distinctive features, and plump lips. For a second, he stared at Sungjong intensely before his face broke into a radiant smile.

A soldier hurried forward and announced, “Prince Sungjong, heir to the thrown of Yellow kingdom.”

“Thank you very much for coming,” Sungjong said. “It’s much appreciated.”

“You can drop the formalities with me,” Dongwoo said, handing his helmet to one of his soldiers. “Of course I’d come, the Green kingdom is always ready to help.” 

“This way,” Sungjong ushered him into the hallway. “We were worried since it had been 2 days already.”

“Ah, that’s my fault,” Dongwoo said sheepishly, scratching his head. “We were on our way, but I saw a deer in the Loan forest, it had been badly wounded but it was still alive. I stopped a night to tend to it.”

Sungjong was amazed – not only was Dongwoo friendly, he was kind as well. He led the two of them to the council room, where Dongwoo was presented before the king, who thanked and welcomed him gracefully. Afterwards, after Dongwoo had eaten and rested, they came back to the council room again. This time, it was empty, guarded by two soldiers of each kingdom, each sworn to secrecy, ready to lay their lives down for their lords.

Each kingdom had a special lair where the Alliance members would convene but since it was only the two of them, Sungjong thought it would be less intimidating if they conversed in the council room for now. They weren’t officially a part of the Alliance yet.

“So, what’s the reason for the urgent call?”

Taking a deep breath, Sungjong told him all he knew about the North preparing to attack, their numbers, their soldiers, their weapons. 

“Yellow kingdom is only the start,” he said finally. Dongwoo had been listening earnestly, nodding his head. “We are the only kingdom to have a border with the North. Once we fall, it will be all the other kingdoms. Individually, we will fall like houses made of matchsticks.”

“I hear what you’re saying,” Dongwoo said. “I agree, Northerners will not stop at one kingdom. From the very beginning, they had plans to rule all the kingdoms.” He slammed down his fist on his palm. “The Alliance needs to be reconvened.”

Sighing with relief, Sungjong congratulated him on his wise decision. At least he wasn’t the only one who thought the Alliance was the only way to stop the North. For once, he saw a sickle of hope.

“But I wonder why the rest of them had not-”

Dongwoo’s musings were stopped by a knock at the door.

“I told them not to disturb us,” Sungjong said grudgingly. The door opened, and one of his soldiers bowed deeply.

“Many apologies, your Highness. His Majesty had asked me to escort Prince Myungsoo to this room.”

“Prince Myungsoo?” Dongwoo questioned. 

Sungjong nodded and the soldier signaled at someone waiting outside the door. Another soldier entered, not one of the Yellow or the Green kingdom’s. He was dressed in black armour and carried a banner, as dark as the night. At first Sungjong thought that the banner was just plain black, but on closer inspection he could make out the outline of a panther at the center, bordered by silver, it’s fangs bared menacingly. 

“Prince Myungsoo, heir to the throne of Black kingdom, and representative to the Alliance.”

A tall man entered the room, dressed in a silken suit. He had a strikingly handsome face, hair as dark as his banner, and stoic eyes. After greeting the two of them, he sat down opposite to Sungjong, staring at him intently. Sungjong was a bit thrown by the intensity of his gaze and almost disturbed by the smirk on his face that brought to view an endearing dimple.

“Well Myungsoo, nice of you to join us,” Dongwoo said in a friendly manner. “Never thought the Black kingdom would be one of the first kingdoms to send out a representative.”

The Black Kingdom had a reputation of being sly - they would read the situation first, watch everyone make their moves, and then choose the position that suits them the best. Sungjong agreed with Dongwoo - as grateful as he was for the Black kingdom's arrival, it was unexpected.

Still staring at Sungjong, Myungsoo said, “I’ll admit the Alliance isn’t my first priority.”

“What do you mean?” Sungjong asked, feeling practically uncomfortable by the man’s gaze.

Instead of replying to his question, Myungsoo said, “You are just as beautiful as I’d heard.”

Dongwoo looked just as flabbergasted as Sungjong felt.

“Err…”

“Is there a reason why you turned me down?” Myungsoo inched closer to Sungjong, completely ignoring Dongwoo’s presence.

“I’m sorry?” Sungjong had no idea what was going on. They should be talking about the impending war and the Alliance, not senseless things.

“I asked your hand in marriage, for three years straight.”

Dongwoo gasped while Sungjong stared at the man in front of him. He vaguely remembered his father mentioning the proposal from the Black kingdom but he hadn’t known that it was actually the Prince who had asked to marry him. He had no wishes to get married of course so he had turned the proposal down without listening to the details. 

“Have we met before?” Sungjong asked as politely as he could, knowing full well that they hadn’t met.

“No, but words about your beauty has spread far and wide,” Myungsoo said, savouring Sungjong’s discomfort.

“That is true, actually, I’ve heard it as well,” Dongwoo agreed.

It suddenly became very awkward. Smacking his lips, Sungjong tried to steer the conversation towards the war but Myungsoo wouldn’t have it – he wanted an answer.

“Look, I don’t know you. I can’t just get married like that,” Sungjong stated irately. “We have more pressing matters to discuss and if you’re not interested in that, you can leave.”

Dongwoo nodded in agreement.

“Fine,” Myungsoo sighed, backing off. “I’m not really interested in the war or whatever, but if you need to get to know me to marry me, then I’ll hang around.”

“The war, the Alliance is not a joking matter,” Sungjong said angrily.

Myungsoo’s face morphed into cold stolidity.

“I’m not joking. I will get rid of these Northerners, if that’s what it takes to win your heart.”

“I guess that means Black kingdom is in,” Dongwoo said quickly, before Sungjong could quip at him. Myungsoo nodded and Dongwoo smiled widely, showing his teeth. “Great, we have three and we need three more. This is going somewhere!”


	3. Red

Dongwoo liked the Yellow kingdom.

It was warmer than his own land, being farther towards the south. He had been here for the past 5 days and the hospitality had been heartwarming. The king was kind and wise, and Prince Sungjong took after his father. Even though he was young, he had a quiet wisdom about him that was surprisingly missing from Prince Myungsoo. The three of them had spent most of their time in the council room, talking, planning, strategizing; unfortunately, the prince of the Black kingdom didn’t seem to be interested about the war at all. He would mostly stare at Sungjong and sometimes even make inappropriate advances that the prince had obviously shot down with an imperious warning. 

They had waiting for the rest of the three kingdoms to send their representatives, but it was all in vain. The messengers had returned empty handed. It seemed shocking that even the ancient distress signal didn’t move the other kingdoms. Yes, the friendliness between the kingdoms had suffered in the last hundred years, but this was desperate times.

Entering the council room, Dongwoo found Prince Myungsoo sipping from a goblet, looking thoughtful. That was quite unnatural for him.

After they’d greeted each other, Dongwoo asked, “Where’s Sungjong?”

“My fiancé is speaking to the king,” Myungsoo announced unabashedly.

“He’s agreed to be your fiancé?”

“Not yet.” Myungsoo grinned, putting down the goblet. “But soon.”

The prince was handsome, no doubt, but he wasn’t sure where he got this sort of confidence from. Sungjong was farther from becoming his fiancé than when the two hadn’t met.

“You know Myungsoo, I wish you’d take this more seriously.” Dongwoo wasn’t the one for confrontation but the prince had irritated him enough – they were face to face with a war that might mean the end of the world but Myungsoo had no worries about that. “This might the Alliance, the three of us, and that brings down our chances of winning.”

Myungsoo turned to him with an amused look. “Surely, you’re not thinking of winning against the North?”

Dongwoo did a double-take – what did he think the Alliance was for?

“That is the only way we-our kingdoms will survive!”

Leaning against the wall, Myungsoo chuckled, picking up his goblet and chugging his drink.

“We don’t stand a chance, especially not with only three kingdoms. We will never win. We have to run away, as far as possible from here, and start anew.”

The words stumped Dongwoo. How could a prince talk about running away from war? How could the heir to the throne think about abandoning his people?

“Sungjong would never agree to that.”

A look of annoyance flashed across the prince’s eyes.

“He will realise what a folly this is soon.” Even though he said it, he looked away sheepishly. Whatever he had in his mind, Dongwoo didn’t think it was anything good. This was not the kind of Alliance he had hoped for. The Alliance that his ancestors had taken part in was a great one, with noble and fearless representatives who had pledged their lives to the War, to protect their people.

“My father thinks we should go ahead and not wait for the rest.” Sungjong entered the room gravely, positioning himself as far away from Myungsoo as possible.

“I agree, today is the 7th day, the fire goes out tonight,” Dongwoo agreed; even Myungsoo nodded.

“Well then, Dongwoo I want you to lead the Alliance.”

Both Dongwoo and Myungsoo looked surprised.

“Really?”

“Yes, you’re the oldest, you’re smart and wise. I’m sure you’ll be a great leader.”

Myungsoo scoffed.

“Do you have any problems following his lead?” Sungjong asked scathingly.

“Nope, I’ll follow your decision.”

“I’ll have the scribe draw up the papers then,” Sungjong sighed. “I was still holding onto the hope that they’d…”

Patting him gently on the back, Dongwoo said, “Perhaps this is not the Alliance you were hoping for, but we will give it our all.”

“I just find it funny why the White kingdom, of all kingdoms are hiding. They have the mightiest army, the most resources,  and the greatest bloodlust.”

“They have a new king,” Dongwoo said. “The young prince ascended the throne not too long ago. Maybe he’s different from his father.”

“You mean he’s spineless,” Myungsoo goaded.

Shaking his head, Dongwoo said, “I don’t know him. In anyway,” he turned to Sungjong, “this is how it’s going to be, so we should accept it.”

 

 

The sound of hoofbeats woke Dongwoo up. Not one or two, many, maybe a dozen or more. In the last 5 days, he hadn’t heard so many horses at the same time at night. There were no marches scheduled at night, there was no reason for so many horses to thunder across – they were approaching the castle.

Springing out of his bed, he donned his armour on over his night clothes and picked up his broadsword. The soldier stationed outside his door looked surprised.

“Did you hear the horses?”

“Horses, sire?” the soldier was baffled.

Dongwoo was brought up in the land of the mightiest steeds, he knew hoofbeats when he heard them, from miles and miles away. He wasn’t wrong about this.

“Wake Prince Sungjong and Prince Myungsoo, tell them we might be under attack.”

The soldier’s eyes widened but he ran towards Sungjong’s room.

Dongwoo quickly made his way through the hallways, sword in his hand. They had received no intelligence about the North attacking anytime soon – was this a surprise attack? Did they know about the Alliance already and wanted to strike before they were prepared?

When he reached the courtyard, he could smell the horses in the night air. Not one of his, or of the Yellow kingdom. They had a foreign smell.

“What’s going on?” Sungjong and Myungsoo joined him on either side, both with their armours on and swords at their sides. “Should I sound the alarm?”

“Wait a second,” Dongwoo said, frowning. He could count the horses now – 12, no 14. Surely, the North wouldn’t be attacking them with 14 horsemen.

At that moment, the main gates were thrown open, and just as he had counted, 14 horses galloped in and paused before them. They were a mixture of white, grey, chestnut, and black. In the light of the torches held by the soldiers, he saw two different flags. Before he could try and make out the symbol on the flags, he heard Sungjong gasp beside him and mutter, “The White kingdom!”

Two soldiers dismounted.

“King Sunggyu, reigning king of White kingdom and the eastern mountains, representative to the Alliance.”

 Everyone else gasped audibly. The king of the White kingdom was here.

The other soldier then announced, “General Woohyun, knight supreme, commander-in-chief of the army, second heir to the throne of Red kingdom, representative to the Alliance.”

Another gasp sounded, followed by a weak cheer.

“Welcome to the Yellow kingdom, your Majesty, sire,” Sungjong said. “Please accept our humble hospitality.”

The two men at the front of  the procession descended from their rides. They were wearing riding clothes. Since the king was just in front of him, he could make out his face in the light from a nearby torch. He had a stern face, narrow eyes that seemed to spark fire, and lips pressed into a thin line in apparent anger. His domineering figure towered over Dongwoo, the gold thread of his riding gear shining in the light.

“This way, your Majesty, and your Highness.”

They all followed Sungjong to the council room, the soldiers were left at the door. Once inside the room, he got a better view of the other man, General Woohyun. The man had a formidable nose, chiseled jaw, and glossy hair, parted to one side. When he smiled, which he did once they were all sat, his abnormally sharp canine teeth were visible. He had broad shoulders, and even under his clothes, Dongwoo could make out a muscular build. Despite being just as tall as Dongwoo, Woohyun exuded an aura of raw power that intimidated him. His clothes were red, like fresh blood. Sprawled across his chest was a snow white wolf, it’s canines bared in a feral growl, it’s eyes yellow, and mouth as red as the background. For some reason, the insignia went well with the second heir to the Red kingdom.

He was familiar with the crest of the White kingdom – after all, the White kingdom was known to be the land of the legendary warriors, their powers unmatched by the 5 kingdoms. In the ancient days of magic, they were known to have the most powerful spirits – a symbol of which was the golden orange dragon, with horns carved out of gold, and a mane of electric blue, splashed across a white background.

“Your Majesty,” Sungjong said, and they all bowed. They had never expected the king himself to come as a representative to the Alliance. Dongwoo didn’t know what to make of it.

“I apologise for the lateness,” Woohyun said. His voice was deep but warm. “Sunggyu here needed some ... convincing.”

Woohyun spoke about the king with familiarity, as if they were friends. Sunggyu glared at Woohyun, but the latter only laughed.

 “I mean his Majesty,” he corrected himself.

“Let’s not waste time,” Sunggyu said. His voice was higher than Woohyun’s and had an almost musical quality to it.

Sungjong launched into the explanation, while Dongwoo supplicated. Myungsoo sat very still, perhaps intimidated by the presence of a king. Only Woohyun was truly comfortable with Sunggyu in the room.

Once they were done, they waited reverently for Sunggyu to speak.

Finally, the king said, “I don’t see why we need an Alliance. The White kingdom will take care of it if the North dares to advance. We have the mightiest army in the land, we’re not afraid of the North.”

Even though the speech was impressive, and parts of it were true, Dongwoo realized that the king did not know what was at stake. He was uncomfortable to bring it up but it turned out, Myungsoo wasn’t.

“Well that’s not what happened last time. The White kingdom lost many men and it was the Alliance that brought the North down.”

Sunggyu held his glare for a whole minute.

“That was in the past. I see you’re from the Black kingdom. What would you know about mighty warriors?”

Myungsoo looked like he wanted to reply but Sungjong stopped him with a hand on his thigh.

“Your Majesty,” he said reverently, “together, we’re stronger. We need your help.”

Sunggyu’s eyebrows rose.

“And why would I help you? Any of you?”

“Should we go to bed now?” Woohyun suddenly interjected. “We had a long journey, and his Majesty looks tired.”

The king glared at Woohyun and Dongwoo was worried that the king would actually pulverize the General but the smile on Woohyun’s face didn’t waver. It was really strange, and to Dongwoo, it seemed that no matter how mighty the king was, Woohyun was in control. Jumping up at the suugestion,  Sungjong ushered Sunggyu out of the room reverently. They all stood up to leave, when Woohyun said, “He’ll come around. I’ll convince him.”

“What makes you think he’ll listen to you?” Myungsoo sneered.

Woohyun looked at him and smiled.

“Because I convinced him to come all the way here,” he said. “He knows we need the Alliance, but he’s too proud to admit it.”

Myungsoo scoffed. Putting a hand on his shoulder, Woohyun said, “He might be a bit of a pain, but he will be the greatest ally you can ever have.”

Dongwoo knew that very well, so he nodded. Pride is a common fault among the White, he knew that very well. However, at the same time, it was the White kingdom who had let the most powerful alliance of all time – he had hope.


End file.
